Yugabdh: 5122 1942 Vikram Samvat: 2077 L 4 October ......General to Chicago, Amit Kumar congratulated the organization for its eforts in bringing this ambitious project to fruition

Yugabdh: 5122

Shaka Samvat: 1942

Vikram Samvat: 2077

VOL: L

No: 4

October-December 2020

Vishwa Dharma Digest

Vishwa Hindu Parishad America Inc.

P.O. Box 2009

Natick, MA 01760

Non Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDHouston, TX

PERMIT NO. 8376

Suggested Donation: $5.00Suggested Donation: $5.00

BIDDING BIDDING GOODBYE GOODBYE TO 2020TO 2020

APRIL-JUNE 20202

1970-2020 Golden Jubilee Year

OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2020 1


The views expressed in the articles presented in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organization, officials, editorial staff or the donors. © Copyright 2019 World Hindu Council of America (VHPA). All rights reserved. No parts and contents of this publication may be reproduced in any form, without the written permission of VHP of America, Inc.

Managing Editor:

Shyam Tiwari

[email protected]

Editor:

Ronica (Rajranee) Jaipershad

[email protected]

Advisor:

Dr. Abhay Asthana

[email protected]

EDITORIAL TEAM

WORLD HINDU COUNCIL OF AMERICA (VHPA)

www.vhp-america.orgNATIONAL OFFICE:P. 0. Box 2009, Natick, MA 01760

VOLUME: L NO: 4 OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2020

Tel.: [email protected]

श्रीभगवानुवाचअसंशयं महाबाहो मनो दुरननिग्रहं चलम् |

अभयासेन तु कौनतेय वैरागयेण च गृह्यते ||-श्रीमद्भगवदगरीता 6.35

śhrī bhagavān uvāchaasanśhayaṁ mahā-bāho mano durnigrahaṁ chalamabhyāsena tu kaunteya vairāgyeṇa cha gṛihyate

-BHAGVAD GITA 6.35

Lord Krishna said: O mighty-armed son of Kunti, what you say is correct; the mind is indeed very difficult to restrain. But by practice and detachment, it can be controlled.

About the HINDU VISHWA

World Hindu Council of America (VHPA) publishes the Hindu Vishwa issue quarterly, except when combined with special publications. For subscription, please fill out the membership form on the last page.For Advertising inquiries please contact: Shyam Tiwari @ 7709622669 or email: [email protected]

World Hindu Council of America (VHPA), founded in 1970 and incorporated in the state of New York in 1974, is an independent, nonprofit, tax-exempt and volunteer-based charitable organization serving the needs of Hindu community in USA. It aims to build a dynamic and vibrant Hindu society rooted in the eternal values of Dharma and inspired by the lofty ideal of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, i.e. “the entire creation is one family”.

OCTOBER - DECEMBER 20202


Editorial

HinduPACT Organizes its First Ever

Fundraising Gala

First ‘decolonized’ English Translation of

Srimad Bhagavad Gita

Ram Mandir Donation Drive to be Launched

on Makar Sankranti

Iconoclasm in Kerala Too

The Flow of Soma: Soma and Ananda

Kurukshetra: A Short Visitor’s Guide

Terror in the Name of God and Allah

Embrace Every Season

SEE IN THE ISSUE...

FIRST VHPA HINDU CENTER INAUGURATED IN CHICAGO

04

20

23

27

33

36

18

10

03

SHRI BALKRISHNA NAIK: MERGER OF A NISHKAAM DIVYATMA INTO COSMIC LIGHT

SUPPORT-A-CHILD STANDS UP TO THE CHALLENGES OF 2020

BIDDING GOODBYE TO 2020

PREHISTORIC ROCK ARTS DISCOVERED IN TIRUVANNAMALAI CAVERN

07

08

12

15

0516



PROMISES SHOULD NOT BE FORGOTTEN

EDITORIAL

Our Hindu events are designed with a purpose: Not so long ago, on Saturday, November 14,

Hindus celebrated the annual festival of Diwali, or, the festival of lights. This is a period

when Hindus worship Mother Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth, and fill their homes and

surroundings, with earthen lamps (diyas), and happiness! This event provides an opportunity to focus

on Mother Lakshmi, and to ensure that their respective abodes will be visible when the Mother passes

by, on Diwali night. On this occasion, families get together, for prayers and unification, and for the

opportunity to begin the Hindu new year together. They share sweets, join together for prayers, and

reflect on their past, with a resolve to ensure that in the upcoming year, life will be better, goodness

will prevail, and darkness will be overcome.

Similar festivities are visible during holidays in December, and New Year’s Eve, an event which

marks the last day of the calendar year, and the beginning of a new year. This day is celebrated lavishly,

with pomp and pageantry. We celebrate our achievements and accomplishments with families and

friends, and make promises to each other, with a resolve to foster a brighter and better future, in the

upcoming year.

However, as time goes by, we

all have seen instances, wherein,

as the new year goes by, the

resolutions are sometimes

forgotten. Good does not

always prevail over evil, and

the unwanted inevitably

occurs. Some families even

become divided, due to various

discords that occur within

the family unit. This should

not be the case. Promises and

resolves are not to be broken, or

forgotten. Conceptually it’s all

about a sankalp, whether it’s for

performing a pooja at home or something else, to remain steadfast irrespective of interruptions. If you

make a promise, or resolve to accomplish some objective, it is essential that you fulfill your obligations.

So, as we approach the end of another year, do follow through with your new year‘s resolutions, and

especially, “be good and true to your words, and to one another!”



On October 24, 2020, the World

Hindu Council of America (VHPA)

inaugurated its first Hindu Center in the

city of Sugar Grove, IL. The occasion was graced

by Consul General of Chicago Hon. Amit Kumar

and the Mayor of Sugar Grove Hon. Sean Michels

who were joined by an intimate group of the

organization’s leaders and their families.

The Center’s mission is to bring the Hindu

community together, celebrate Hindu culture and

heritage and pass it on to the next generation. As

per Hindu tradition, a yagna was performed and

presided over by the President of the Chicago

Chapter Nirav Patel, Vice Presidents Vinesh

Virani and Harindra Mangrola, Secretary Shailesh

Rajput, Midwest Coordinator Sanjay Shah,

and VHPA Joint General Secretary Amitabh

Mittal and their respective spouses. Strict social

distancing norms were maintained including

limiting the number of attendees. India’s Consul

General to Chicago, Amit Kumar congratulated

the organization for its efforts in bringing this

ambitious project to fruition while Mayor Michels

lauded the Indian American community for their

substantial contributions to the US.

The Center, located at 200 N. Bond St, Sugar

Grove, IL, stands on a 2.7-acre plot of land and

has a built-up area of 16,000 sq. feet. The Center

will offer numerous services to the Hindu

community including Bal-Vihar for children,

Vedic Math classes and Women’s Self Defense

classes among other activities. Center will also be

available for social gatherings and office space

rentals.

For more information, please contact: [email protected]

or call (224) 388-9122.

First VHPA Hindu Center Inaugurated in Chicago



On way from Kushinagar to Gorakhpur

(51 km stretch) in Uttar Pradesh at 11.30

p.m. on November 18, 2020, a flame

merged into the Param Jyoti (Cosmic Light).

Remaining a bachelor, Shri Balakrishna Naik

(78) had preferred the lifelong happiness and

bliss of selfless service of protecting, preserving

and promoting the cause of Desh-Dharma, Rishi-

Krishi Kulaachaar (culture) and Hindu self-respect

to material pleasures and common run of life! He

gave up his body at the place which is famous for

the Mahaparinirvana (absolute liberation from

the limitations of the world of relativity/giving up

of body) of Bhagwan Buddha – the Enlightened

and Awakened One. Kushinagar is included in

the famous Buddhist circuit/trail encompassing

Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Nepal. It is said that he

had also expressed the wish to attain Nirvana at

the same Punyasthali. He also had great reverence

for Mahatma Buddha and his principles. Prior

to his demise, he had Darshan-Poojan at the

Maha-Parinirvana temple of Bhagwan Buddha at

Kushinagar and met venerable Buddhist monks

and taken their blessings. He was also associated

with the Sri Ramakrishna Math, and Mission

work started by Swami Vivekananda.

My last meeting with him was during the

meeting of the VHP Central Margdarshak

Mandal on 10th November, 2020 in Delhi when

he could not stop his desire to have Darshan

of venerable saints even in the condition of ill

health and infirmity. He had great reverence for

venerable Sant-Mahatmas. Ability, integrity and

humility were the hallmarks of his personality.

He was always peaceful, quiet, cheerful and soft-

spoken.

Shri Balakrishna Uttamrao Naik was born

Vinod Bansal

Shri Balkrishna Naik:

MERGER OF A NISHKAAM DIVYATMA INTO COSMIC LIGHT



(1942/43) at Paithan, Maharashtra, and his

paternal family had later shifted to Sambhajinagar

(Aurangabad), Maharashtra. He had been a brilliant

student since childhood. He did his Bachelor

of Engineering (Mechanical) and stood first in

Gujarat University in 1962. He earned his Master

of Science in Mechanical Engineering (MSME)

from Stanford University, California (USA) and

worked as Research Engineer with NARMCO

R&D, San Diego, California during 1963-65.

After returning to Bharat, he straight away,

without going in for any job/employment for

which he was eminently eligible,

completely dedicated himself to

the service of Maa Bhaarati

(Mother India) in 1966 as a

Pracharak of the Rashtriya

Swayamsevak Sangh

(RSS) working from

Parbhani (Maharashtra.

In 1967, he was sent

to Kolkata to work for

the Hindu cause in

West Bengal that was in

the sadistic communist

stranglehold during those

decades, and he effectively

worked in W.B. in various

roles for 23 years. He was sent to

Vishva Hindu Parishad–W.B. in 1974

to work as a Vibhag (a cluster of 3-4 districts)

Organizing Secretary and then from 1976

to 1990, he successfully worked as the State

Organizing Secretary of VHP-W.B. Later on he

was Organizing Secretary for VHP – Western

Zone (consisting of Maharashtra and Gujarat)

for 5 years. For quite some time since 1995 he

ministered the VHP International Coordination

work from New Delhi as a Central Secretary.

Then as a Joint General Secretary and a Vice-

President he worked for the organization which

is the global platform for the Hindus of the world

who constitute 1/6th of the over 7.8 billion global

population. He was a member of the Central

Governing Council of VHP since 2018.

As the head of the International Coordination

Department of VHP, he travelled to several

European, American, and Caribbean countries

including the USA, England, Germany, Italy,

The Netherlands (Holland), Norway, Trinidad

& Tobago, etc., to mobilise and put in place

a mechanism amongst the NRI and the PIO

brethren, so that Bharatiya culture and Hindu

values of life could be kept being passed and

handed on from generation to generation. He

participated in the historic World

Hindu Conference held in Trinitad

& Tobago in 1999-2000 as the

head of the International

Coordination Department

of VHP.

As the coordinator

of the Hindu-Buddhist

Joint Delegation, he not

only travelled to countries

like Thailand, Cambodia,

Vietnam, Myanmar,

Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka,

Indonesia, Malaysia, South

Korea, Bangladesh, Suriname,

Laos, and Singapore, but also helped

Ven. Bhadant Gyanjagat Mahasthavir

Ji Maharaj – the head of the Hindu Buddhist

Cultural Foundation – organize a Hindu

Bauddha Conference at Lumbini – the hallowed

birthplace of Bhagwan Buddha. The theme was

to reclaim the pristine cultural fraternity and

commonwealth status amongst all these countries

including Bharat.

For the past 15 years, he had been looking

after the work of Samannvay Manch (Solidarity

Forum) for protection, preservation and

promotion of Bharatiya Culture as its first Head,

AS THE COORDINATOR

OF THE HINDU-BUDDHIST

JOINT DELEGATION, HE

NOT ONLY TRAVELLED TO

COUNTRIES LIKE THAILAND,

CAMBODIA, VIETNAM,

MYANMAR, NEPAL, BHUTAN, SRI

LANKA, INDONESIA, MALAYSIA,

SOUTH KOREA, BANGLADESH,

SURINAME, LAOS, AND

SINGAPORE, BUT ALSO

HELPED VEN.



and then as its Patron. He was the originator of

the Samannvay Manch that aimed at ensuring

solidarity amongst all indigenous schools of

spirituality, including the Bauddha, Jain, Sikh

traditions, etc. He never ever thought of taking

a break or retirement due to his uncooperative

health (asthma), but by virtue of his continuous

cultivation of mind over matter, he always kept

on moving and working across the country – in

the dynamic Aitareya Upanishadic tradition of

“Charaiveti, Charaiveti” – keep on moving ahead

discovering, inventing and innovating in the

spiritual, material, social and national spheres for

the good of one and all.

In his tributes paid to the Divyatma, the VHP

Working President Advocate Shri Alok Kumar said

that Late Shri Balkrishna Naikji was very much a

continuous practitioner of the 18/5 Shloka of the

Shrimad Bhagavad Gita: “yagna-daana-tapah-

karma, na tyaajyam kaaryam eva tat, yajno daanam

tapas chaiva, paavanaani manisinaam”, meaning,

acts of sacrifice, philanthropy and self-discipline

verily ought to be performed, and should not be

forsaken, for the holy fire rite, charity, and penance

sanctify even the wise. (The truly wise inculcate

the doctrine of performing the inner holy fire

ceremony of casting material consciousness into

the fire of inner wisdom; and the metaphysical

fire ceremony, the burning of mortal desires in the

cosmic perception of God, or destroying material

desires in the fire of divine longings. These acts

are symbolized in the external yajna of casting

clarified butter into the ceremonial fire). He kept

his mind and intellect awakened and dynamically

creative/productive through regular Vipassana

meditation. The Yajna-Daan-Tapa framework

very much outlined and defined the agenda of all

his activities.

His USA academic peer Shri Oliver Markley

has wished him “Rest in Peace” and another

USA friend Shri Babulal Gandhi, who was also

his engineering peer at Gujarat University, writes

“Jai Shri Ram.We will miss him!” His friend

from USA, Engineer Shri Sushim Mukerji writes:

“…I was so saddened by the news of the passing

of Naikji. He phoned me even a few months

ago during this Covid pandemic to enquire my

wellbeing. We knew each other from the mid-

1980s. In spite of all intellectual and professional

qualifications he chose a life far from the societal

norm, a life that shunned name and fame and

wealth. Gita encourages us to lead a life “vita-

raga-bhaya-krodha” (free from attachment-fear-

anger); Naikji led that life effortlessly, as if it is

so easy. He did not have attachment even for the

wellbeing of his own body, which perhaps was the

reason he passed so prematurely.

By virtue of his wholesome, chaste and

unassuming character, humility, love and

sincerity of purpose, he accomplished results and

earned respect in all areas of his responsibility.

As a Sangh Pracharak, he lived an ascetic life; as

an office-bearer of the Vishva Hindu Parishad

he made great efforts to establish co-ordination

amongst all indigenous schools of spirituality and

left his body in harness, while on organizational

tour as if he proved true to his regular prayer as a

Swayamsevak, i.e., “Mahaamangale punyabhume

twadarthe, Patatwesha kaayo Namaste

Namaste” (“Oh the supreme benefactor holy land,

this body be laid down for You! Many praises for

you!)

It takes a super courageous man to accomplish

such a feat. We will miss him! Hari Om!”

Our humble tributes on the merger of a

Nishkaam-Jyoti into the Cosmic Prakash-

Punj!

Shri Vinod Bansal is the national spokesperson

for VHP Bharat.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR



Support-A-Child (SAC), a Seva program of VHPA,

was established in 1985 as an initiative of the

Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA), to

help eradicate illiteracy and improve living conditions

of children from poor and disadvantaged families in

India. SAC is run totally by volunteers’ efforts, with

minimal overhead costs. Today SAC has strong presence

in 27 active chapters in 16 states in US, with dedicated

chapter coordinators, and a strong national team.

Donors may support a child (or several children) by

donating $250 per child which provides for education

and living expenses of the child for a year. Donors

receive a report card for each sponsored child every year

and are encouraged to visit the SAC supported hostels

in India. Please visit sacusa.org to learn more about the

initiatives and success stories of SAC.

To ensure “Satpatri Daan”, SAC collaborates with

various organizations dedicated to serving the poor

and needy in India so that help reaches where it is most

needed. Some of these organizations are Bharat Kalyan

Prathishthan (BKP) (Sewa Vibhag of VHP Bharat),

Sewa Bharati, Sewa Dham, Vivekanand Kendra and

Seva in Action. Among these, BKP is our main partner

which runs several hostels in cities as well as in remote

villages and tribal regions of India, where poverty

and lack of resources prevent youth from getting any

education. To address the needs of this neglected

populace, schools have been started in remote areas of

Manipur, Tripura, Meghalaya, Jharkhand, Assam, West

Bengal, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. Now

we see the presence of SAC Supported Hostels in all the

states of Baharat. BKP, a project of VHP, with the help

of about 200 associated organizations or trusts all over

Bharat, is dedicated to jan-kalyan and is an embodiment

of the lofty principle of “Nar-seva Narayan-seva.”

FUNDRAISING: The year 2020 posed unique challenges for SAC in

organizing the annual fund raising events. After

considerable thought, it was decided to host a series of

online events on virtual platform using social media.

The first event of this series was Hasya Kavi

sammelan’ Jeevan ke Rang Hasi Ke Sang featuring

renowned poets Gajendra Solanki, Dr. Praveen

Shukla, Dr. Sarita Sharma, and Dr. Sunil Jogi on Aug

29. A combination of ‘hasya kavita’ as well as thought

provoking serious poetry, the program was well received

by the audience.

“Atithi Devo Bhava” a musical dance drama that

rediscovers Bharat through music, dance, and visuals

was presented on September 12. This program was

previously performed nationally and internationally;

notably in front of the Taj Mahal. The program

presented the famous traditional and folk dances from

Jayant Daftardar, Director SAC USA

SUPPORT-A-CHILD STANDS UP TO THE CHALLENGES OF 2020



four corners of India, masterfully showcasing the unity

in diversity of the Bharat.

The next show was the Grammy nominated tabla

and percussion maestro Pt. Subhen Chatterjee and

Bandish Fusion band on Oct 10. The show titled

Bhava-Rasa-Tala, was a memorable musical experience

presenting a unique fusion of Indian and western music,

blending Indian classical music with Jazz as well as

harmonic influence from European classical music. The

band, comprising of talented instrumentalists as well

as vocalists, enthralled the audience with their melodic

beauty and incredible rhythms.

A unique addition to the SAC fund raising efforts

was a youth program “By The Youth – For The Youth.”

This was a Music and Dance show by talented teens

across America. The program was managed entirely by

youth volunteers of SAC from conception to execution.

The variety show included vocal, instrumental and

dance performances, and highlighted the deep

connection of the Indian diaspora with the traditional

art forms of Bharat.

Webinar “Hindus of Kerala Past, Present and

Future” was organized on Dec 12 jointly with Swami

Vivekanand Cultural Society (SVCS) from Kerala,

Bharat. The purpose of the webinar was to highlight the

rich and proud history and heritage of Hindus of Kerala

and to create awareness about the current challenges

faced by the Hindus of Kerala. Webinar also showcased

several Sewa initiatives launched by SVCS & SAC for the

uplift of Hindu society.

OPERATIONS: This year, SAC shifted its operations from Houston, TX

to Cincinnati, OH. Sangeeta Singh-ji joined us as Office

Manager and is ably providing all the backend support.

This year has been challenging for everyone due to

Covid-19 pandemic, however volunteers of SAC have

shown exceptional focus and have continued with the

fundraising efforts. Our goal for 2020 is to support 3500

children and we are on track to meet the goal with the

generous and unwavering support from our donors.

LAST 5-YEAR SAC STATISTICS AT A GLANCE:

Year 2015 Year 2016 Year 2017 Year 2018 Year 2019

Number of children supported

1139 1738 2139 2464 3064

Number of Donors 276 566 710 867 1236

Number of Hostels 42 59 59 72 75

Number of States in India (Donations Given)

13 15 18 19 20

Number of States in US (Donations Received)

35 35 35 37 37

Total Donations Received

$ 167,126.00 $ 379,013.63 $ 453,488.00 $ 431,352.10 $ 535,980.21



To kick-off its 2021 Hindu Policy research

and Advocacy CollecTive initiatives,

HinduPACT organized a fundraiser gala

virtually on Saturday, December 19, 2020 and was

hosted on several online platforms.

The gala was anchored and hosted by Preity

Üpala, a former investment banker and Miss India

International, currently a media entrepreneur in

Hollywood, CA, a geo-political commentator,

columnist, and director of The Omnia Institute.

The program began with a Sri Ganésh stuti,

mellifluously sung by Ms. Geetikka Kulkarni, a

renowned playback singer (of Bajirao Mastani

and other movies fame). The urgent need for

partnerships for Hindu Americans to promote

Hindu voices and perspectives in the political

and cultural landscape of USA was articulated

by Ankur Patel, HinduPACT Director for

Partnerships, along with introductory remarks.

This was followed by felicitations by Dr. Abhaya

Asthana, President of Vishwa Hindu Parishad of

America (VHPA), and Dr. Ved P. Nanda, John

Evans Distinguished University Professor and

Thompson G. Marsh Professor of Law, University

of Denver.

Dr. Jai Bansal, HinduPACT Executive Director

– Education, and former Chief Scientific Officer

and Distinguished Fellow at Argonne National

Laboratory, provided a brief on Hindu diaspora

in USA, the structure of HinduPACT, its current

and proposed activities, and financial (donations

and/or endowments) needs. Dr. Ajay Shah and

Utsav Chakrabarti, HinduPACT Convener and

Executive Director, respectively eloquently

provided background information.

A very engaging and thought-provoking

panel discussion, moderated by Ms. Rakhi Israni,

HinduPACT Executive Director – Legal, ensued.

It had four prominent Hindu American panelists:

Dr. Rik Mehta, Ms. Vindhya Adapa, Dr. Raj Vedam,

and Pandit Roopnauth Sharma. It articulated the

broad theme of advocating a strong American

Hindu voice in the public space that encompasses

HinduPACT Organizes its First Ever Fundraising Gala



political, cultural, and educational arenas. Dr.

Raj Vedam, Co-Founder of Indian History

Awareness and Research think-tank (Houston,

TX) and Director of Arsha Vidya Satsanga,

emphasized the necessity of advancing Hindu

narratives that are contextualized in their original

Puranic traditions. The urgency for countering

the distorted colonial and leftist descriptions

was also expressed. The latter engender flagrant

Hinduphobia and outright demeaning of Hindu

values and cultural identities. These views were

further advanced by Pundit Roopnauth Sharma,

President of the Hindu Federation, Ontario,

Canada, and Ms. Vindhya Adapa, Attorney

Advisor – US Dept of Treasury and Formerly

Asst. General Counsel for HIAS. Ms. Adapa

also espoused the need for forming partnerships

with other diaspora in order to build broader

advocacy coalitions. Dr. Rik Mehta, Biotech

entrepreneur, Healthcare policy expert, former

USFDA staffer, and first Hindu American 2020

Republican nominee for US Senate in New Jersey,

echoed similar comments for advancing Hindu

points of view in its multi-faceted domains. The

question and answer session that followed was

very engaging, and evoked a thought-provoking

exchange between the moderator, panelists, and

viewers.

Earnest appeals for donations to endow

the HinduPACT initiatives were made by Smt.

Renu Gupta, HinduPACT Executive Director

for Chapter Development, and Smt. Vishakha

Manek, Healthcare entrepreneur, prominent

social worker, and a clinical Registered Nurse.

The pressing need for funding the policy research

and Hindu advocacy in USA cannot be overstated,

and donations can be made at the following URL:

https://hindupact.org/.

In his concluding

remarks, Utsav

Chakrabarti narrated

emotive stories of

discriminations against

Hindus, grossly distorted

depiction of Hindu views,

and Hinduphobia, which

guided his engagement with HinduPACT. The

program was interlaced with melodious musical

interludes provided by Ms. Geetikka Kulkarni,

and ended with a lovely Ghoomer song and the

rendition of Albela Sajan song in both Hindi and

Telegu.

An estimated virtual

audience of 5,000 viewers

over the diverse Zoom,

Facebook, and YouTube

internet platforms enjoyed

the gala. Furthermore, the

program was streamed

(either live or via a dedicated link) by the following

media partners: Diya TV (https://diyatvusa.

com/), Tag TV (https://www.tagtv.info/), and

Bharat FM (https://bharatfm.com/).



For time immemorial, mankind has been

searching for the “truth”- is time real?

"We can portray our reality as either a

three-dimensional place where stuff happens over

time," said Massachusetts Institute of Technology

physicist Max Tegmark, "r as a four-dimensional

place where nothing happens [‘block universe’] —

and if it really is the second picture, then change

really is an illusion, because there's nothing that's

changing; it's all just there — past, present, future.”

(https://www.space.com/29859-the-illusion-of-

time.html)

Leaving aside the question of what ‘time’ is to the

scientists, we, human beings have to acknowledge

that we are conditioned and controlled by time.

We make elaborate schedules to manage time but

in reality, while following those schedules, we

become slave to the time. We say ‘time flies’ but

does it really? When we watch TV or a film in a

theater, the screen remains where it is; the frames

of a movie move in rapid succession. Similarly,

may be the time is like a vast canvass on which

our day-to-day life, our ‘schedules’ are projected.

Keeping that thinking in the mind, let us think

about the year gone by- the year 2020. Though it

has become a ritual to take stock of the year gone

by, make new resolutions only to be broken later,

such an exercise also serves as a benchmark in

human history.

The year 2020 will be remembered for the

Coronavirus and COVID-19. The pandemic

and its impact around the globe are the stuff of

science fiction or a horror movie. It has been a

BIDDING GOODBYE TO 2020Gaurang G. Vaishnav

Tampa, FL ([email protected])



rude awakening and a big jolt to the self-centered

mankind. One couldn’t have imagined that the

things we took for granted could easily be taken

away from us- freedom of movement, freedom

of assembly, freedom to eat out, freedom to use

public transit, freedom to play outside, freedom

to go to schools and colleges, freedom to have

parties, freedom to celebrate weddings and other

joyous affairs of life, opportunity to attend the last

rites of near and dear one- all these were gone in

a blink of an eye.

Though ultimately, COVID-19 will be tamed,

and people will begin to live more or

less normal life, its impact will

last for a long time. So many

families have lost loved ones.

We all remember how in

the initial days back in

March/April we used to

see on the TV screen a

three-digit number of

total deaths in USA. This

escalated to more than

300,000 over nine months

and we became numb as it

is difficult to comprehend

such rapidly increasing

numbers. But for those who lost

a family member, a father, mother,

brother, sister, a child or a grandparent,

each of that 300,000+ death is a painful reality,

a reality more acute than anything else because

they couldn’t hold their departing relative’s hand

or comfort them when they breathed their last.

Neither could they, in many cases, be there at

the cemetery or crematorium to pay respect

and attend religious ceremonies. The Bharatiya

community of NJ-NY lost one of its leaders, Shri

Ramesh Patel to COVID-19. VHPA lost Dr. Hari

B. Bindal, a member of the Governing Council, a

renowned Environmental Specialist, and founder

of the 'American Society of Engineers of Indian

Origin (ASEI).

Dr. Bindal served as the Environmental

Program Manager for the US Dept. of Homeland

Security and as the Commissioner of PG's

County’s Solid Waste Advisory Committee. The

President of India honored him with the 'Pravasi

Bharatiya Samman' Award in 2017, and in 2019,

he received the 'Pravasi UP Ratna' Award, from

the Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Bharat.

Bharat lost a well-respected amazing singer,

S.P. Balasubarhamaniyam, Balu to COVID-19.

And hundreds of thousands of people

lost their livelihood, jobs and

businesses.

There were non-COVID

related losses to the Hindu

society too in 2020. A Seva

and humility incarnate

senior office bearer

of VHP, Bharat, Shri

Balkrishna Naik Ji passed

away during Diwali

holidays in Kushinagar,

Uttar Pradesh, the holy

land where Bhagwan Buddha

attained Parinirvan, or liberation

after death. Here in USA, one of

the early volunteers and a life member

of VHPA, Shri Ram Gehani of Maryland passed

away in April. He had served on the governing

council of VHPA and was instrumental in the

growth of VHPA’s work in metropolitan DC area.

But there were some bright spots too in

otherwise a gloomy and extremely difficult year.

On August 5, 2020, almost a five-hundred-year-

old dream of the Hindu society to reclaim the

land where Shri Ram temple at his birthplace was

destroyed and a ‘mosque’ was built on its ruins on

the orders of Babur, the Moghul king, the Prime

VHPA

VOLUNTEERS IN

SEVERAL STATES WERE

ACTIVE IN SEVA WORK

RELATED TO CORONAVIRUS.

THEY COLLECTED FUNDS

AND DISTRIBUTED MASKS,

GLOVES AND GROCERIES TO

THE NEEDY. SOME OF THE

WOMEN VOLUNTEERS SEWED

MASKS AT HOME AND

DONATED THEM TO

THE HEALTHCARE

WORKERS.



Minister Shri Narendra Modi performed the

“Shilanyaas”, foundation stone laying ceremony

to build a grand temple of Bhagwan Shree Ram

in Ayodhya, which became a reality after the

Supreme Court ruled in favor of Hindus. This

was a historic day, and it gave a big boost to the

confidence of the Hindus, especially, coming

after several but persistent struggles over those

centuries and sacrifices of thousands of lives.

Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America launched

two major initiatives in the year 2020. It started

HinduPACT (Hindu Policy Research and

Advocacy Collective) and a weekly talk show

HinduLounge on YouTube. These two initiatives

will go long way in bringing issues affecting

Hindus front and center and influencing

government policy makers at all levels. During

this year, another Hindu advocacy organization,

CoHNA, Coalition of Hindus of North America

was born after a series of anti-Bharat resolutions

by city councils and attacks on Hindu Mandirs

and Hindu Students bordering on Hinduphobia

became a major concern.

VHPA volunteers in several states were active

in Seva work related to Coronavirus. They

collected funds and distributed masks, gloves

and groceries to the needy. Some of the women

volunteers sewed masks at home and donated

them to the healthcare workers.

At the end of this year, VHPA also changed

its leadership. Dr. Abhaya Asthana, the president

of VHPA who has been with VHPA for 26 years

and served in various capacities decided to step

down to bring in new blood. At the same time,

Shri Sanjay Mehta, the General Secretary who

also has been with VHPA for more than 25 years

emphatically expressed his desire to relinquish

his position one year ahead of the completion of

his term. This duo has worked in tandem for so

many years and led VHPA ably and infused it with

new energy. Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America

is thankful to them and looks forward to their

active role on the Advisory Board. The Governing

Council of VHPA unanimously elected Dr. Ajay

Shah (PA) and Shri Amitabh Mittal (IL) as the

president and the general secretary. These young

members have been with VHPA from early age

and have the experience needed to continue

steering VHPA in the right direction. Thus, while

2020 was a difficult year, 2021 comes with a new

promise.

The year 2020 also taught us the value of

family as a unit, importance of good friends,

joy of simple, home cooked food, possibility of

wanting less and finding joy within. It also opened

our eyes to the effects of wanton disregard of the

nature and abuse of natural resources.

The speed with which vaccines were invented

by cooperation among researchers is a testimony

to human courage in face of the direst challenges.

That is why the hope springs eternal. With the

lessons learned, let us welcome the year 2021 with

the renewed spirit to make this world a better

place to live for all.



Prehistoric rock art in red and white ochre

have been discovered inside a rock cavern

in Neelanthangal, a remote village in

Tiruvannamalai district of Tamil Nadu.

There are at least 15 images of animals and

other figurines inside the cavern, which is facing

threat from vandals. Like many rock art sites in the

state, vandals have scribbled their names around

these prehistoric pieces of art too.

There are at least 15 images of animals and

other figurines inside the cavern, which is facing

threat from vandals. Like many rock art sites in the

state, vandals have scribbled their names around

these prehistoric pieces of art too.

It’s difficult for one to identify the ancient

figurines and images from the recent ‘creations’ of

the vandals, according to S Balamurugan, tehsildar

of Tiruvannamalai, who with a team of four

heritage enthusiasts discovered the site a couple of

days ago.

“It was not easy for us to identify the prehistoric

figurines, particularly those painted in white ochre.

People who come here don’t know the significance

of it. They draw images inside the cavern imitating

the ancient pieces of art. They also write their names

and initials on the rock wall,” said Balamurugan.

South India, housing the second largest corpora

of rock art after the central Indian Vindhyan hill

zone, contains more than 500 rock art sites in a

varied ecological, geographical, geological and

ethnographic setting. The rock art sites of Kerala-

Tamil Nadu zone, located in the granite-laterite

zone, are datable from the megalithic to early

historical times.

The study of rock art in Tamil Nadu, particularly

in the recent years, has attracted the attention of

academicians, artists and amateurs from different

fields. The curiosity in this ancient form of art has

resulted in the discovery of more than seventy-five

sites in Tamil Nadu with paintings (petrographs)

and engravings (petroglyphs) executed on the

surface of rock-shelters. Many rock arts sites in

Tamil Nadu are yet to be taken over and preserved,

according to S Sudhakar, a member in the team.

“Neither the ASI nor the Tamil Nadu state

archaeology department takes any interest when it

comes to rock art sites,” said S Sudhakar, a member

in the team that discovered the site.

Vandalism is on the rise here as many use the

site as a hangout, making use of the remoteness

of it. “We are planning to place a sign board to

highlight the importance of the site soon,” said

Balamurugan.

“A detailed study by experts will help understand

the significance of the prehistoric art works in the

region,” he added.

Source: https://m.timesofindia.com/city/chennai/prehistoric-rock-arts-discovered-in-tiruvannamalai-cavern/amp_articleshow/76708941.cms

M T Saju

Prehistoric Rock Arts Discovered in Tiruvannamalai Cavern

There are at least 15 images of animals and other figurines inside the cavern



Vancouver, BC – Ten years in the making,

a new English version of the world’s most

translated – and mistranslated – ancient

Indian scripture could be the purest because it

does not include colonial, western or Christian

distortions.

Written more than 5,000 years ago – some

calculate 7,500 years ago – the Bhagavad Gita is

considered the ultimate guide on how to navigate

life’s struggles and dilemmas and find meaning

within existence. It is the central and enduring

sacred text of Hindu and other eastern cultures

that can be found in households worldwide.

The book also has prevailing global influence

as a “leading book of yoga,” and a following that

includes Arianna Huffington who recently wrote:

“The Bhagavad Gita is a source of wisdom in this

crucible time.”

TRANSLATED HUNDREDS OF TIMESConsidered a literary masterpiece with universal

appeal, the Gita has been translated hundreds of

times in 75 languages since 1785. It even provided

the premise of the multi-star Hollywood movie,

The Legend of Bagger Vance.

When local Vedic (Hindu) scholar and linguist

Jeffrey Armstrong embarked on being the first

Canadian to translate the Gita into English, he

thought he was doing a straight Sanskrit-to-

English translation. Through his research, he

FIRST ‘DECOLONIZED’

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

OF SRIMAD BHAGAVAD

GITA

AUTHOR SAYS REVERED SACRED TEXT MORE

RELEVANT THAN EVER



discovered that previous western versions had

distorted the Gita with concepts, words and

theories that do not exist in Sanskrit or Indian

cultures.

Armstrong spent 10 years “decolonizing” the

text to capture it accurately. The Bhagavad Gita

Comes Alive: A` Radical Translation released this

week on Amazon, timed with Diwali celebrations.

Armstrong says the book’s teachings are more

relevant than ever.

“As we navigate a changing world amidst a

global pandemic, climate change, and universal

calls for social justice, the Gita offers guidance and

lessons that are timely, including about ethical

and moral dilemmas, politics, and cooperating

with nature,” said Armstrong, vice-chair of the

Vedic Friends Association and scholar with the

British Board of Dharmic Scholars.

A few of the Christian words and concepts that

Armstrong avoids in his translation include: God,

heaven, hell, soul, and sin. “These words and

concepts cannot be used as synonyms for Vedic

and yogic words and philosophies. I offer the Gita

in its true essence where I keep key Sanskrit words

and use English to support their true meaning

and intent.”

For example, the word “soul” originated with

the Greeks and is defined as the essence of a

human being who has one lifetime followed by

consequences. The Bhagavad Gita Comes Alive

replaces “soul” with the correct and intended

Sanskrit word, “atma,” which means “the invisible,

immortal being with no beginning or end.”

TESTIMONIALSDr. David Frawley – American Hindu scholar who

was awarded India’s third highest civilian honour,

Padma Bhushan, by the Indian government:

“There has long been demand for a version

of the Gita that corrects distortions. With this

translation by Jeffrey Armstrong, who deeply

understands the connotations and subtle

connections of the Sanskrit terms around which

the Gita revolves, we finally have an extensive and

profound English version of the Bhagavad Gita.”

Professor Ved P. Nanda: Head of Hindu

Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS), a North American

non-profit organization that aims to preserve and

promote Hindu ideals and values. The University

of Denver’s international law department is named

after Nanda, who is an awarded adjunct professor

at the university. The Indian government awarded

Nanda its third highest civilian honour, Padma

Bhushan:

“Jeffrey Armstrong has produced a master

translation, carefully preserving its intended

meaning. The Bhagavad Gita Comes Alive: A

Radical Translation enables the reader to unlock

the profound messages which are obscured by

other versions.”

ABOUT JEFFREY ARMSTRONGJeffrey Armstrong is an award-winning author,

linguist, and poet. He has been teaching the Vedas

for more than 40 years. He also had a successful

15-year career as an executive in Silicon Valley

and public speaker addressing Fortune 500

companies. His other books include Spiritual

Teachings of the Avatar, and Karma: The Ancient

Secret of Cause & Effect.

Media Inquiries: Renu Bakshi 604 787 1873 or

[email protected]

Book Inquiries: VASA Publishing, Sandi

Graham: [email protected] 604-370-

6970

Website: https://gitacomesalive.com

Amazon Link: Order the book



New Delhi, December 16, 2020 - The

support of every Ram devotee from all

over the country will be solicited for

the grand temple to be built on the birthplace

of Bhagwan Sri Rama in Ayodhya. For this,

the Karyakartas of Vishva Hindu Parishad

will go from door to door with the venerated

saints and the rest of the people of society.

Announcing Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir

Nidhi Samarpan Abhiyan, Vice-President of

Vishva Hindu Parishad and Secretary General

of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust,

Shri Champat Rai said that in this intensive and

extensive campaign from the upcoming Makar

RAM MANDIR DONATION DRIVE to be Launched on Makar Sankranti

AFTER THE MARTYRS, NOW IS THE TURN OF TIME-GIVERS AND

FUND CONTRIBUTORS: CHAMPAT RAI

SHRI RAM MANDIR NIDHI SAMARPAN DRIVE WILL RUN FROM 15

JANUARY TO 27 FEBRUARY



Sankranti (15th January, 2021) to Magh-Purnima

(27th February), VHP Karyakartas would reach

out to 110 million families of 400,000 villages of

the country and propagate and flourish Ramatwa

by connecting the common man directly with Shri

Ram Janmabhoomi. With the support of people

of every caste, creed, sect, region and language

of the country, the Ram temple would actually

take the form of a Rashtra Mandir(Temple of the

nation). Saluting the struggles and sacrifices of

innumerable hindus, he called upon every Rama

bhakt(devotee) to come forward enthusiastically

and proactively for this Ram-Kaaj(cause). For this,

we need not only funds-contributors

but also time- contributors, he

added.

Addressing a press

conference in New Delhi

today, he said that Hindu

society struggled for five

centuries to protect the

honour of the country

by reclaiming the

birthplace of Bhagwan

Sri Ram. Finally, the

Supreme Court accepted the

sentiments of the society and

the truths of history associated

with the temple and directed the

Government of Bharat to form a trust.

The government announced a trust in the name

of “Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra”.

The Prime Minister accelerated the process of

construction by offering worship in Ayodhya on

August 05, 2020.

Sri Rai said that preparations are underway

to construct the temple. Engineers from IIT

Mumbai, IIT Delhi, IIT Chennai, IIT Guwahati,

CBRI Roorkee, Larsen & Toubro and Tatas

are working on the foundation drawing. The

foundation configuration and layout would very

soon come out. The whole temple will be of stone

blocks. Every-one of the three floors will be 20

feet high; the length and breadth of the temple

will be 360 and 235 feet respectively.

Shri Champat Rai said that it is planned to

make the present and the future generations of

the country aware of the truths of the history of

this temple. By going from door-to-door, at least

half of the country’s 1350 million people will be

made aware of the historical truths of Shri Ram

Janmabhoomi. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari

and Attock to Cuttack, we won’t leave any corner

of the country unvisited. The VHP

Karyakartas (volunteers) will reach

out to every nook & corner of the

country, including the Rann of

Kutch, Arunachal Pradesh,

Nagaland, Andaman &

Nicobar Islands and the

mountainous, forest and

desert regions of Bharat,

to hand out Ram temple

literature to people and

seek their support. People

have a strong desire that

Sri Ram’s Nativity Temple

should come up at His

Janmabhoomi soon.

Sri Rai said that millions of

Karyakartas would take part in this historical

campaign and the society would voluntarily

cooperate and co-create because the work is of

Bhagwan (God) and the temple is of Ram. Funds

cannot be a hindrance in the work of God. In

order to maintain transparency in the financial

dealings and transactions, the trust has printed

coupons and receipts of denominations of INR

10, 100 and 1000. Karyakartas will issue coupons

or receipts according to what the society

contributes. The picture of Bhagwan Sri Ram’s

temple will reach millions of homes.

SRI RAI SAID

THAT PREPARATIONS

ARE UNDERWAY

TO CONSTRUCT THE

TEMPLE. ENGINEERS FROM

IIT MUMBAI, IIT DELHI, IIT

CHENNAI, IIT GUWAHATI, CBRI

ROORKEE, LARSEN & TOUBRO

AND TATAS ARE WORKING

ON THE FOUNDATION

DRAWING. THE FOUNDATION

CONFIGURATION AND

LAYOUT WOULD VERY

SOON COME OUT.



In 1990, the late Sita Ram Goel, historian-

publisher from Delhi, in his book Hindu

Temples, What Happened to Them, compiled

a list of some 1862 temple sites where the temple

had been destroyed by Islamic iconoclasm,

often to be replaced with a mosque. Those are

1862 falsifiable claims, as a scientific hypothesis

requires, and none of them has been refuted in

the intervening 30 years.

The list was by no means exhaustive. Likewise,

historian Meenakshi Jain’s 2019 book Flight of

Deities, listing murtis being spirited away by

worshippers in the nick of time to protect them

from approaching armies of iconoclasts, is very

far from complete. Books as hefty as hers on India

as a whole wait to be written on each of India’s

provinces. Now, a start has been made listing and

discussing demolished temples in Kerala.

In Goel’s list, Kerala was really underserved,

with only a mosque in Kollam and a Palghat fort of

Tipu Sultan mentioned in which temple materials

were used. (Hindu Temples vol.1, p.133). Kerala

was not the hotbed on Hindu-Muslim conflict,

rather well-off compared to North India that

bore the brunt of the repeated waves of Muslim

conquests and iconoclasm. The periods of temple

destruction there are mainly the occupation

by Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan (late 18th

century) and the Moplah Rebellion (1921).

FINALLY Now, the 157-page book Destroyed Temples of

Kerala, vol.1 (so, more volumes are coming),

by Tirur Dinesh, speaks of “thousands” of

“destroyed Hindu temples” (back cover) in the

far southwestern part of India alone. He zooms

in on one case each in 25 chapters, where a

“case” or “incident” of iconoclasm usually means

more than one temple, or a major temple with a

number of dependent smaller temples. (Even in

Richard Eaton’s list of “80” cases of iconoclasm,

nowadays cited for authority by the secularists as

“the number of destroyed temples”, the ca. 1000

temples destroyed in Varanasi by the Ghurid

army count as a single “case”.) Nor does a single

demolished temple mean that it was demolished

only once.

Thus, “Chokkoor Sreerama Kshethra was

demolished during the time of Tipu’s invasion and

again during the Moplah riots (...).Tipu’s army

entered through the Thamarassery mountain

pass, killed as many Hindus as they could, terming

them as Kafirs, destroyed the temples all the way

and spared only those Hindus who were willing

to accept Islam. They demolished nearby temples

like Kulikkapra Siva Temple, Kuzhikalaattu Siva

Temple, Pongattur Subrahmanya Temple near to

Manipuram, etc., and reached Chokkoor Srirama

Temple.” (p.59-60) The several demolitions of all

these temples altogether form one case, here one

chapter.

ICONOCLASM IN KERALA TOO

Koenraad Elst



Dinesh has personally visited all the sites and

provides original photographs. Every site has a

different story, which he relates in detail, often

after painstaking original research. The mythical

origin of the temple is also explored. Unlike Goel’s

bald enumeration followed only by the general

ideological context, this list provides ample local

context.

In some cases, the temple demolition does not

date back to historical episodes like the Moplah

Rebellion, but took place within living memory,

with eye-witnesses still around to be interviewed.

The Iringavoor Siva Temple was the

victim of a bomb attack on 31 July

1985. The perpetrators were

local Muslims descended

from Hindus forcibly

converted by Tipu Sultan.

The Islamic ideology that

motivates iconoclasm,

that motivated Hyder and

Tipu and the Moplahs

to it, is still alive and

unchanged. But the good

part of this story is that this

temple is presently being

revived. (p.43 ff.)

Where the demolished temples

were not replaced with mosques, which

are immunized and perpetuated by the Places of

Worship Act 1991, the ruins often become the

germ of a new temple. Thus, the Malaparambu

Maattummal Narasimhamoorthy Temple had

already gone through convoluted proceedings

(including the return to Hinduism of some

Muslims and the menacing resentment of the

local Muslims for that) to set up a trust, revive

the temple and renovate it, when “in 2005 the

temple was released to the trust. Following this

they started the renovation process and found

the Narasimha’s idol as 6 pieces. (…) The fund to

build [the Sanctum] Sanctorum was raised from

the native Hindus.” (p.110)

Other devotees are now preparing for a revival

of the Paruthikkottamanna Mahadeva Temple,

after excavating it from the forest that had covered

it over in the past two centuries in 2013: “The

believers hope that they will overcome hurdles,

and well-wishers will financially back them up for

the renovation.” (p.138) In some cases, the author

himself partakes in these revival efforts. At any

rate, this way he manages to end sordid stories of

temple destruction on a constructive note.

WHY ICONOCLASM? Why did these things happen,

and sometimes not happen?

To start with the former:

Islam teaches and

commands iconoclasm,

with Mohammed himself

having set the example,

most emblematically

with the destruction of

the 360 idols in the Kaaba.

That was the general rule to

which Hyder, Tipu and the

Moplah Khilafatists adhered.

But the latter case, non-iconoclasm,

has its part of the truth as well. There is a

secularist argument that Tipu Sultan actually

patronized Hindu temples. The argument

suffers from the usual secularist flaw of willfully

confusing an exception with the rule, but yes,

next to numerous temple destructions, there

are a few such cases. The reason was that “Tipu

blindly believed in astrology. (...) Astrologers

attributed the continuous defeats met by Tipu

to the demolition of temples and suggested

the renovation of temples as the only remedial

measure. His donations to the temples were a

result of this advice.” (p.8)

THE LIST

OF WHAT WAS

ACTUALLY DONE TO

THE HINDUS IS GETTING

LONGER, AND MORE VOLUMES

INVENTORYING THIS CHAPTER

OF INDIAN HISTORY ARE SURE TO

FOLLOW. EVERY PART OF INDIA

COULD PRODUCE SUCH A VOLUME.

WE MUST BE GRATEFUL TO TIRUR

DINESH FOR BREAKING THE

ICE IN LOCALIZING AND

DEEPENING THE LINE OF

RESEARCH PIONEERED

BY SR GOEL.



So, the cases where he patronized idol temples

do not prove that next to a fanatical iconoclastic

Islam there is also a pluralistic Islam (even

wrongly extolled as “the real Islam”), as secularists

would like you to believe. They only prove that

next to Islam, Tipu also held another belief,

viz. in astrology. When his belief in astrology,

rendered acute by setbacks on the battlefield, did

not intervene and Islam had free reign, he was

an unmitigated fanatic eager to convert Hindus

forcibly and destroy their temples. His letters

down to the inscription on his sword testify to

this Islamic zeal. As do the mute witnesses: the

ruins of Hindu temples and the mosques he built

with their debris.

POINTS FOR IMPROVEMENT A few times the wording in this book is not

precise enough, either because the author is a bit

careless in doing justice to the evidence available,

or because the evidence is still really deficient.

Thus, the Chamravattom Kannanoor Pisharath

temple “was last demolished at the time of the

Moplah riots” (p.39), factual enough, but many

temples were demolished several times in India’s

long history. So earlier, it was “believed to be

destroyed at the time of Tipu’s invasion” (p.38,

emphasis added). In a scholarly book of facts,

the word “belief ” detracts from the power of

persuasion; it should be avoided. To be sure, it

may reflect a real state of affairs, where a scenario

is probable but not altogether certain, there really

exist several more options between totally yes and

totally no. Still, in the present war with the anti-

Hindu forces, anything less than full certainty,

even including an honest admission of mere

probability, will be exploited by your enemies.

And while we are formulating a bit of criticism,

a trivial but non-negligible point is the language

of this book. Proofreading by a native speaker

or at least someone fluent in English and in the

standard transcription of both Sanskrit and

Malayalam would not have been a luxury. For

a temple mentioned above, we note the variant

spellings Srirama and Sreerama, neither of them

standard. The definite article “the”, non-existent

in the Indian (and the immense majority of the

world’s) languages, is one of the grammatical

difficulties in English. In most Semitic, by

extension Greek, Germanic and Celtic, and by

further extension the Romance languages, it also

exists but its use is more predictable; in English

it is quite irregular and idiomatic. It makes little

difference for a correct comprehension, but not

mastering it just looks bad, e.g. here: “The most

sacred place of South India, Brahma temple

among these, was demolished by Mysore army”

(i.e. by Hyder Ali; p.94). It shouldn’t have been

too much trouble to change this to “the Brahma

temple” and “the Mysore army”. For most readers,

stunted language indicates stunted thinking, and

thus detracts from the author’s credibility.

CONCLUSION The list of what was actually done to the Hindus

is getting longer, and more volumes inventorying

this chapter of Indian history are sure to follow.

Every part of India could produce such a volume.

We must be grateful to Tirur Dinesh for breaking

the ice in localizing and deepening the line of

research pioneered by SR Goel.

Tirur Dinesh: Destroyed Temples of Kerala,

vol.1, Trasadasyu Publ., Trivandrum 2020, 157

pp., ISBN 978-81-939299-2-6, Rs.350

Source: https://koenraadelst.blogspot.com/2020/12/iconoclasm-in-kerala-too.html

Koenraad Elst, a renowned Belgian Indologist, has written several books on Indian history and culture. He is best known for his writings on controversies in Indian history.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR



The Vedic ritual reaches its climax in

the Soma offering, in which specially

prepared plant juices are offered into the

sacred fire (Agni) as the drink of the Devas. But

this ancient ritual reflects a deeper internal ritual

or alchemy of awareness that is its real import.

In exploring this process, we will discover many

secrets of the practice of Yoga.

Soma is first of all part of a great universal

symbolism. Soma pervades the outer world as

water in its various forms on the earth and in the

sky, as the sap of plants, the vital fluids in animals,

the Moon, and even the waters (vibratory

field) of space. Soma exists inside ourselves as

a psychological principle of feeling, love and

inspiration, including as our creativity that we

manifest in diverse forms.

Yet beyond this, Soma is a spiritual principle,

an aspect of the infinite and a key to immortality.

In the state of meditation, the brain and mind

naturally secrete a special type of Soma or nectar

of peace and contentment, which reflects this

spiritual Soma. Ultimately Soma is the bliss of all

existence, the Ananda through which the universe

is created and into which it must return. It is this

Soma or Ananda that is the prima materia or

ultimate substance behind the entire world.

SOMA AND AGNI: BLISS AND CONSCIOUSNESSTo understand Soma, we must understand Agni,

the fire, light or energy principle, which is its

counterpart. In Vedic thought, the twin principles

of Agni and Soma are behind all workings in the

universe on all levels. On an outer level, they

refer to the great elements of fire and water, but

their inner symbolism goes much deeper. Such a

twofold division of reality takes many forms like

Purusha and Prakriti, Vishnu and Lakshmi, and

Shiva and Shakti. Indeed, Lord Shiva, the supreme

Godhead, is said to be Agni-Somatmakam or both

Agni and Soma in nature. His right side is Agni in

nature–fiery, harsh or masculine. His left side is

Soma in nature– watery, gentle or feminine. These

are the basis of his two manifestations as fierce

(ghora or Agni) and gentle (saumya or Soma).

Agni as fire represents light (Jyoti) in the

broadest sense, which includes the light of

perception and the light of consciousness, not

simply light as a material principle. Soma as

water (Apas) is the medium on which light can

be reflected, which is ultimately a quality of light

itself. In this regard Soma is not only water, but

the mind and ultimately, the reflective power of

consciousness itself.

THE FLOW OF SOMA:

SOMA AND ANANDA

David Frawley (Pandit Vamadeva Shastri)



Soma as a cosmic power is not simply watery

in its nature. It has an oily quality that can nourish

and sustain fire. It has been compared to ghee

(ghrita) in texture. All objects that we see are like

fuel for the flame of our awareness. Soma also has

a sweet quality and has been compared to honey

(madhu). All that we see is like a flower, from

which the honey of bliss can be extracted. These

properties that can sustain light and provide joy

pervade all of space. Great yogis can access them

with their subtle bodies (the linga or fire body)

and move at will through all the worlds, finding

nourishment and delight in all that they perceive.

Soma is the delight which is the counterpart

of light. On the deepest level, Agni is the fire of

consciousness (Chidagni) that is reflected in the

Soma or water of bliss. In this regard Agni and

Soma are ultimately the same, two complementary

aspects of Brahman.

OBJECTLESS DELIGHTThe highest Soma is the delight inherent in

existence itself (Brahman), not simply the pleasure

produced by contact with external objects. Soma

is the ‘pure delight’ that we are truly seeking in all

that we pursue, not mere temporary pleasure that

wears away the senses and is only its reflection.

Any happiness that is based upon contact with

an external object must be fleeting and must

eventually end in pain. This higher ‘objectless’

joy or self-delight can only be perceived by an

internal consciousness beyond the fluctuations of

the mind, by the unwavering flame of awareness.

We can achieve that through taking the state of the

witness (sakshi-bhava), which provides the joy of

perception and avoids the pain of involvement.

As long as we rely on external contacts to gain

our Soma or happiness, we cannot escape from

the wheel of sorrow.

We are all seeking some form of happiness

in life. We all want lasting bliss. This seeking of

Soma is inherent in the soul, which is ever seeking

to return to its origin in God. Similarly, we are

always extracting some form of Soma out of our

life experience. This essence or rasa is ultimately

delight. That is why the Upanishads refer to the

Self as rasa (raso vai sah).

The Self is said to be the fluidity of water, the

heat of fire, the power of the wind to move, the

power of the earth to hold and the power of space

to pervade. It is the unique quality or special

essence, what is the highest and best in all things.

This unique essence is Soma. We discover the Self

by going to the essence of our own nature. The

Self is the eye of the eye, the ear of the ear, the

mind of the mind. It is the truth of truth. This

extraction of the essence from all that we know

is extracting the Soma that is hidden in all things.

This extraction process occurs in the purification

filter (pavitra) of the heart, by the light of which

we can discern the heart or core of all things.

THE SEER AND THE SEENRelative to the Yoga of Knowledge (Jnana Yoga),

Agni is the seer and Soma is the seen. Seeing has

a fiery quality and works through light. The seen

is the field illumined by light and is actually only

light or consciousness reflected externally. Our

very power of seeing is a power of fire while all

that we see is potentially fuel for it. If our seeing

is clear then it can disclose the Soma or Ananda

hidden in all that we see. The fire of seeing is able

to ripen, cook or bring out the essence of all that

we observe. The key to the alchemy of Jnana (Self-

knowledge) is that whatever we look at with full

attention, with a fully energized Agni or fire of

awareness, will yield Soma or delight, not as an

external enjoyment but as the very bliss of the

Self.

When we look at things directly, without

division, their essence comes forth, which is

Ananda. This is the state of Samadhi, which is the



flowing of Soma at an inner level. The unity of

Agni and Soma is the unity of the perceiver and

the perceived. When we learn to look at our inner

self wholly and fully, through the practice of Self-

inquiry, then the delight inherent in the Self must

come forth as the ultimate Soma or self-delight.

THE FIVE KOSHASThe five sheaths or koshas are a common yogic

teaching going back to the Taittiriya Upanishad.

Each of these five levels of our nature has its own

form of Agni or fire, which is its essential energy.

Each has its equivalent form of Soma,

which is its main fuel. Agni is the

eater or enjoyer, while Soma is

the food or substance enjoyed.

1. At the physical level

(Annamaya kosha), the

digestive fire (Jathargni)

is the Agni, and the food

and drink we take in

through the mouth is the

Soma. Higher physical

forms of Soma include

special rejuvenating foods,

beverages and herbs that can

revitalize the body, brain and

nervous system.

2. At the pranic or vital level (Pranamaya

kosha), Pranagni or the vital fire is the Agni and

our vital enjoyments of exercise and activity

are the Soma. Higher Pranic forms of Soma

including Pranayama practices that can revitalize

our internal Pranas and balance their energies

towards transformation.

3. At the level of the outer or sensory mind

(Manomaya kosha), the mental fire (Manasika

Agni) is the Agni and our various sensory

enjoyments are the Soma. Higher mental

forms of Soma include mantra, visualizations

and meditations that bring in a higher level of

experience into the mind.

4. At the level of the inner or discriminating

mind (Vijnanamaya Kosha), the Buddhi or

discriminating intelligence is the Agni and the

various principles, beliefs, ideas or dharmas that

we pursue in life are the Soma. Special types

of Soma for the higher mind include formless

meditations on truth, unity, bliss and harmony.

5. At the level of the soul (Jiva or Anandamaya

kosha), our inner consciousness (Chitta) is the

Agni, and our entire life experiences and

memories are the Soma. Special

types of Soma for it include

the practice of Self-inquiry

in which we digest our life-

experiences, burning up

our Samskaras (internal

karmic tendencies) and

turn them into pure

awareness.

In this way, the soul

or Jiva takes in substances,

impressions and ideas from

the external world and extracts

the nectar of Ananda from them,

just as a bee gathers pollen from

various flowers and turns them into

honey. The ultimate result is the essence (rasa)

of our experience that becomes the Ananda or

Soma Kosha, in which our karmas and samskaras

are held. Those who have cultivated the fire of

awareness are able to turn all their experience,

including that of sorrow, into Soma or Ananda.

This takes them beyond the field of all the Koshas.

AGNI AND SOMA AND THE PRACTICE OF YOGAIn the practice of Yoga, Agni is the fiery Kundalini

force that dwells in the root or earth chakra

AGNI IS THE STRIVING

OF THE SOUL UPWARD

TOWARDS THE DIVINE, WHILE

SOMA REPRESENTS THE DESCENDING

DIVINE GRACE. AGNI REPRESENTS OUR

WILL OR ASPIRATION TO THE TRUTH,

WHILE SOMA REPRESENTS WHAT INSPIRES

US AND THE GOAL THAT WE SEEK. THAT

IS WHY AGNI OR FIRE IS REPRESENTED

BY AN UPWARD FACING TRIANGLE,

WHILE WATER OR SOMA IS

REPRESENTED BY A TRIANGLE

THAT FACES DOWNWARD.



below. It is the power of aspiration that rises from

below and ascends to the heavens above. Soma

is the watery nectar that dwells in the crown

or head chakra. It is the power of Divine grace

that descends from above. As Agni rises, Soma

descends. The oily drops of Soma provide the fuel

for Agni to aid in its upward movement.

The Yoga tradition teaches us that the crown

chakra is the region of the Moon or Soma

(Chandra Kanda), just as the lower three chakras

are the region of fire (Agni-Kanda). Soma,

according to the Vedas, flows in a thousand

streams. These are the thousand currents of the

crown chakra, the Sahasrara or thousand petalled

lotus. Physiologically, Agni relates to the solar

plexus, while Soma relates to the soft palate in the

head, the source of saliva and other secretions in

the head. Balancing these two energy centers is an

important Yoga practice.

SELF-INQUIRY AND SURRENDERAgni is the striving of the soul upward towards

the divine, while Soma represents the descending

Divine grace. Agni represents our will or aspiration

to the truth, while Soma represents what inspires

us and the goal that we seek. That is why Agni or

fire is represented by an upward facing triangle,

while water or Soma is represented by a triangle

that faces downward.

Agni represents Jnana Yoga or the Yoga of

Knowledge, which proceeds through the heat

and friction of introspection and self-inquiry.

This is the main upward movement of the soul.

Similarly, Soma represents Bhakti Yoga or the

Yoga of Devotion, which proceeds through the

flow of surrender. This is the main descending

movement of grace.

Self-inquiry (Jnana Yoga) is the best, simplest

and most direct method for cultivating our inner

fire and reaching the supreme light. Surrender

to God or devotion (Bhakti Yoga) is the best,

simplest and most direct method for opening

up to the flow of grace and reaching the highest

delight.

The practice of meditation should always

strive to be a dual cultivation of both Agni and

Soma, with both deepening perception and joy. A

balanced practice should address both Agni and

Soma aspects of the practice. Cultivating Agni

means cultivating the flame of our awareness,

concentration, perception and discrimination.

It means increasing the power of the mind to

inquire, perceive, penetrate and transform.

In this regard there is a helpful metaphor: The

mind is like a wick. Knowledge (Jnana) is like the

flame, but Devotion (Bhakti) is the oil (ghee).

Without the oil to sustain the flame, it will merely

burn up the wick. So too, a mind that does not have

that flow of grace or devotion, can be burned up or

dried out by the flame of knowledge. We should

must remember to keep our Soma flowing.

Source: https://www.vedanet.com/the-flow-of-soma/

Dr. David Frawley (Pandit Vamadeva Shastri)

D. Litt., author of several books, is a western

born teacher or guru in the Vedic tradition. In

India, Vamadeva is recognized as a Vedacharya

(Vedic teacher), and includes in his scope of

studies Ayurveda, Yoga, Vedanta and Vedic

astrology, as well as the ancient Vedic teachings

going back to the oldest Rigveda.

Vamadeva is a recipient of the

prestigious Padma Bhushan award, one of the

highest civilian awards by the government of

India, “for distinguished service of a higher

order to the nation,” honoring his work and

writings as a Vedic teacher, which he received

in March 2015.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR



Kuruksetra is a spiritually important and

peaceful town which no pilgrim should

miss. It is 118 kilometers north of Delhi,

or about a four hour train ride or three hour auto

ride away. It is most noted for being the place

where Lord Krishna sang the Bhagavad-gita,

which means the “song of God,” to his friend

Arjuna. Therefore, this town is considered the

cradle of Vedic culture, part of the battlefield of

the Mahabharata war, and the birth place of the

Bhagavad-gita. The Bhagavad-gita is a classic

text of India and Vedic thought. Every December

there is the festival of Gita Jayanti, which is the

celebration of Krishna relating the Bhagavad-gita

when thousands of pilgrims visit Kurukshetra.

The name of the town is believed to have come

from King Kuru, the son of Samvarana and

Tapati, and the ancestor of the Kauravas and the

Pandavas.

Not only was the Bhagavad-gita sung by Lord

Krishna in Kurukshetra, but other spiritually

important events also took place here. Krishna

met his friends and residents of Vrindavana

here during an eclipse while He was living in

Dwaraka. He also took bath in Brahma Sarovara

and the Sannihit Sarovara water tanks. It is said

that the Brahma Sarovara tank is one of the

most important in all of India, and that all the

holy waters of India are found in the Brahma

Sarovara during an eclipse, which is why millions

of pilgrims come here to bathe during such an

event. It is also said that those who bathe here,

live here, visit, or die in Kuruksetra go to heaven

after death. In the Kurukshetra Mahatmya of the

Mahabharata the sage Pulastya says that even the

dust of Kurukshetra will cause one to reach the

highest goal. This is the benefit for all who died

in the battle of Kurukshetra 5,000 years ago, and

one reason why the battle took place here. It is

another reason why every pilgrim should visit

this holy place. It is also explained that if a person

walks eight miles along the Ganga River, he will

acquire the merit of performing one ashwamedha

ritual. In Kashi (Varansi) one gets the same result

by walking only four miles, and only two miles

when walking in Kurukshetra.

Furthermore, it is said that Manu wrote the

Manu-samhita here. Some people also believe

that Vyasadeva wrote some of the Vedic texts,

such as the Mahabharata, at his ashrama along the

banks of the Sarasvati River when the Sarasvati

used to flow through Kurukshetra. This is not to

contradict the premise that he also wrote Vedic

texts in his ashrama near Badrinatha. The Rig

and Sama Vedas may have been written here as

well. Even Lord Buddha is said to have visited

Kuruksetra.

While we are here, there are several places

we want to visit. First of all, Jyotisar is the place

Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana Dasa)

Kurukshetra: A SHORT VISITOR’S GUIDE



where Krishna related the Bhagavad-gita to His

devotee Arjuna. This is about 10 kilometers

north of town. It is a pleasant motor-ricksha ride

away, and it provides a time to meditate on the

occasion when the huge armies gathered on these

plains thousands of years ago. Jyotisar is now a

small park with a central banyan tree over a small

marble chariot that marks where Krishna sang the

Bhagavad-gita and showed Arjuna His universal

form. The banyan tree is said to be the same tree

as when Krishna and Arjuna were present and,

thus, the only living witness to the event. There

is a large pond of water here that provides for a

refreshing atmosphere. There are also a

few other small shrines, like an old

Shiva temple. It is most pleasant

to sit and meditate on the

significance of the area and

read some of the Bhagavad-

gita while visiting.

The history of the

Battle of Kuruksetra

and the speaking of the

Bhagavad-gita can be told

briefly. The five Pandava

brothers, born of King

Pandu, were the legitimate

heirs to the kingdom of India.

However, when the Pandavas

were still young, Pandu died untimely

and Dhritarashtra, the head of the Kuru family,

assumed control until the Pandavas were

grown. However, due to his love for his own

sons, Dhritarashtra engaged in many plots and

intrigues to eliminate the Pandavas so his sons,

the Kauravas, could inherit the kingdom. After

many years of tribulations, close escapes from

death, and fourteen years of exile, the Pandavas

returned to reclaim their rights to the throne.

However, the Kurus were not inclined to honor

the Pandavas in any way. Even after asking for

only five villages, one for each of the Pandavas to

rule, Duryodhana, the chief of the Kauravas, said

he would not give them enough land with which

to stick in a pin.

After all peaceful negotiations were exhausted,

the Pandavas agreed that there was no other

choice than to fight. Even Lord Krishna went

and personally asked the Kauravas to settle the

matter in a peaceful way, but this was not what

was destined to be. Each side then amassed

huge armies from all over India and beyond. In

fact, the Kurus had a much larger army and far

greater warriors than the Pandavas. However, the

greatest ally of the Pandavas was their

great moral and spiritual character,

and their friend Sri Krishna, the

most powerful personality.

When it was time for

the huge armies to face

each other on the plains

of Kuruksetra, there were

many millions of warriors,

horses, chariots, and

elephants ready to fight.

Before the battle, Krishna,

who was serving as Arjuna’s

chariot driver and advisor,

drove Arjuna’s chariot between

the two great armies. Seeing the

number of friends and relatives on each

side ready to fight each other, Arjuna hesitated

and felt much grief over the situation. He felt it

was useless to fight. He preferred to retire to the

forest and live as a recluse and meditate. It was

then that Krishna took the opportunity to sing the

Bhagavad-gita to Arjuna to show him that action

for devotional service and to protect Sanatana-

dharma is a higher standard.

The Bhagavad-gita is the essence of all Vedic

philosophy and is composed of 700 verses

and explains such topics as the nature of the

THE BHAGAVAD-

GITA IS THE

ESSENCE OF ALL VEDIC

PHILOSOPHY AND IS

COMAPOSED OF 700 VERSES

AND EXPLAINS SUCH TOPICS

AS THE NATURE OF THE SOUL,

GOD, THE MATERIAL UNIVERSE,

ACTIVITIES AND KARMA,

REINCARNATION, THE

PROCESS OF YOGA, THE

PURPOSE OF LIFE,

AND MORE.



soul, God, the material universe, activities and

karma, reincarnation, the process of yoga, the

purpose of life, and more. After all this was

explained to Arjuna, he took courage with proper

understanding and fought. Thereafter, the war of

Kurukshetra lasted for 18 days in which several

million warriors died in the fierce fighting. Then

the Pandavas were rightfully established in their

kingdom, and Sri Krishna had provided His

eternal instructions in the form of the Bhagavad-

gita for all of humanity. This is all elaborated in

the Mahabharata which is composed of 100,000

verses, making it the longest poem in literary

history.

When we leave Jyotisar, our next stop is at

Bishma Kund, also called Bana Ganga. This is

where Grandfather Bhishma fell on the tenth

day of the battle of Kurukshetra, but remained

laying there until the sun entered the northern

hemisphere. The battle was so fierce that Bhishma’s

back was covered with arrows. Finally, he fell on

his back and laid on what appeared as a bed of

arrows. Then Krishna and the Pandavas, hearing

the news, gathered around him as he prepared

to leave this world. Bhishma was one of the

greatest and most respected of the warriors on the

battlefield. As he lay there, he became thirsty and

Arjuna shot an arrow into the ground from which

sprang Ganges water to quench Bhishma’s thirst.

This later formed into what is now a small kund or

water tank called Bana Ganga, or Bhishma Kund.

Bathing in it is said to give the benefits of bathing

at all the holy tirthas. This is also where Bishma

gave the teachings of Rajadharma (statecraft) and

Anushasana (discipline) to Yudhisthira. Bishma

also sang the Vishnusahasranama (The Thousand

Names of Vishnu) to Lord Krishna before he

departed this world.

Next to the kund is a small temple that

has images of Bhishma on the bed of arrows

surrounded by Krishna and the Pandavas in

the act of listening to Bhishma as he instructs

Yudhisthira on the path of dharma, or spiritual

merit. There is also a deity of Krishna in His

universal form. At one end of the kund is also a

huge 26-foot tall deity of Hanuman. There is also

a little temple here of Sita-Rama, Lakshmana,

Hanuman, and Durga. When we are finished

here, next we’ll go to the large Brahma Sarovara

tank.

There is another place called Bana Ganga

southwest of Kurukshetra in Dayalpur. This is

a small kund where Arjuna had stopped to rest

his horses on his way to fight with Jayadratha. In

order to quench the thirst of his horses, he shot his

arrow called Parjanyastra into the ground which

generated the necessary water. There is also a

temple of Goddess Bala Sundari on the premises,

and a large Hanuman image.

Brahma Sarovara is one of the holiest tanks

in India and is where millions of pilgrims gather

to bathe during an eclipse. One who bathes here

is said to receive the merit of performing an

ashvamedha ritual, and one is freed from all sins by

bathing here during an eclipse. This is where Lord

Brahma performed a large sacrificial ceremony

and also from where he manifested the earth

planet in the process of creation. Legend has it

that Brahma Sarovara was excavated first by King

Kuru long before the epic battle of Kurukshetra.

It is a huge tank (half a kilometer wide and one

kilometer long) with an island in the middle

connected by a road that cuts through it. On the

island is a water well called the Chandra Kupa

Well, one of the oldest sacred wells. Tradition has

it that in ancient times the water in the well would

change to milk during the solar eclipse. Next to

the well is a small Radha-Krishna temple where

Yudhisthira is said to have built a victory pillar

after the successful culmination of the war. This

lake is also where Krishna, His brother Balarama,

and His sister Subhadra came from Dwaraka to



bathe during an eclipse. Along the side of the tank

is a smaller island with the Sarveshwar Mahadeva

(Shiva) temple on it.

The streets nearby have a number of other

temples that we can visit, such as the Birla Gita

Mandir. This has a deity of Krishna in the act of

explaining the Bhagavad-gita to Arjuna. Outside

is a chariot with images of Krishna and Arjuna

on it. Down the road along Brahma Sarovara are

other temples and ashramas, many of which are

quite nice. You can simply ride down the street

and stop to see the ones you want to visit.

Nearby is Sannihit Sarovara, another lake

or water tank that is very significant. It is not

as large as Brahma Sarovara, but it is fairly big

(1500 by 450 feet). Sannihit means the assembly

of the entire range of holy tirthas or sacred sites,

which is said to happen every Amavas, or eclipse,

especially the Somavati Amavas (lunar eclipse). It

is also said that all of the sacred holy places gather

here on the new Moon day, and that this is where

the seven sacred Sarasvatis meet. Performing

the shraddha ceremony for the benefit of the

ancestors and bathing during the eclipse is said

to purify you of all your sins and give you the

merit of having performed 1,000 ashvamedha

ceremonies. Lord Krishna also bathed here and

met the gopis and residents of Vrindavana when

He was present. It is also accepted that it was here

where Lord Indra accepted the bones from the

great sage Dadhichi, which were so powerful that

they were used in making a Vajra or thunderbolt

for killing the demon Vritasura.

On the eastern end of the tank are several small

temples to Vishnu, Dhruva, Hanuman, Durga,

Lakshmi-Narayana, Surya, etc. Across the road

is a large, beautiful temple to Lakshmi-Narayana.

There are also numerous sadhus found here, and

those who merely look like sadhus. In fact, as I

walked around the lake on one occasion, I came

upon a group of sadhus who, instead of engaging

in meditation or reading scriptures, etc., were

sitting and playing a game of cards. When I asked

them if I could take a photo, a few instantly said

no. Playing like a naive tourist, I asked why not,

and one answered, “What do you think?” They

thought I was going to take a photo and then give

it to the newspapers. Of course, I knew why they

didn’t want their photo taken: They didn’t want

to be seen that way because they would lose their

credibility. This made me realize how few real



sadhus actually exist.

Not far from here is a very impressive,

government operated Krishna Museum. Every

aspect of this museum is related to the pastimes

of Krishna and the various ways to express

devotion to Him. The museum has a wide

assortment of brass, metal, and wood deities

of Krishna, Jagannatha, along with paintings,

drawings, sculptures, and artwork from all over

India. There was also a life-size image of Mother

Yasoda with Krishna and Balarama. It also has an

assortment of costumes and dress from different

eras of Indian history. This museum is very nicely

done and well worth the visit, but don’t take any

photos or, as I was told, they may take away your

camera. There is also a Multimedia Mahabharata

and Gita Gallery for all those who are interested.

Altogether it is an especially nice exhibit. Also, do

not miss the Kurukshetra Panorama & Science

Centre, which brings to life the epic battle of

the Mahabharata with special acoustic effects.

Exhibits are also related to various branches of

science like astronomy, medicine, chemistry,

botany, and zoology.

Our next stop is Kamal Nabha or Nabhi, which

is a water kund said to mark the place where

Brahma was born out of the lotus flower that arose

from the nabhi or navel of Lord Vishnu. This is

located in the old town of Thanesar. The water

tank here is not that large and is green with algae,

but is very significant. There is only a small shrine

with Lakshmi-Narayana deities and a picture

on the wall of Vishnu with Brahma on the lotus

coming from Vishnu’s navel. In the entranceway

are a few other small deities.

Another short ride to a different part of town

takes us to the Sthaneswara temple and tank.

This is also quite interesting and is where the

Pandavas prayed to Lord Shiva for blessings to be

victorious in the war of Kurukshetra. The water

from the tank is considered sacred and to have

healing powers. A few drops of the water from the

tank is said to have cured King Ban or Vena of

leprosy. The temples around the tank have very

beautiful deities of Krishna, Radha-Govinda,

Sita-Rama and Lakshmana, Shiva, Durga, etc.,

and an ancient Shiva lingam. The present temple

is said to be constructed by Sadashiva Rao Bhau,

the commander-in-chief of the Maratha forces,

to commemorate his victory over Ahmed Shah

Abdali in the battle of Kunjpura, near Karnal.

According to the Vamana Purana, the tirthas of

Shukra, Soma, Daksha and Skanda are located in

the north, east, south, and west parts respectively

of this Sthanu tirtha, but one who visits the linga

of Shiva here gets moksha or liberation. The

Vamana Purana also says that whoever enters

this Sthanu temple, with or without desires, gets

emancipation from all karma and attains the

supreme seat.

Down the road is the Bhadra Kali temple.

This is another Shaktipeeth, or empowered place

related to Devi, which marks the place where

Sati’s ankle fell when Lord Vishnu cut her dead

body into pieces as it was being held by Lord

Shiva. This was after she left her body when

she had been insulted by her father, Daksha, in

Haridwar for having Shiva as her husband. A

marble sculpture of a right ankle is placed over

the well where Sati’s ankle fell. It is visited by a

large number of devotees.

The Iskcon Krishna temple is in the bazaar in

the older part of town. If you can get there in the

morning you can have darshan of the beautiful

Radha-Krishna deities, which stand about two

feet tall, and the smaller Gaura-Nitai deities.

You can also attend the arati and have a nice

prasadam breakfast. The temple is quite nice and

expanding. They also have guest quarters on the

top floor where visitors can stay. The number of

devotees is small, but they are very friendly and



helpful. In fact, they helped arrange my motor

ricksha transportation to see the holy places in

town the first time I came to visit Kurukshetra.

However, they are building a new and very large

temple on the road on the way to Jyotisar, which

will be in the shape of a chariot. So many people

will be stopping to see this new temple.

Another place to see is the Dharohar Haryana

Sangrahalaya, established in 2006, which houses

a variety of objects like agricultural and domestic

implements and art and craft items from the

state of Haryana. It also has archaeological

artifacts, manuscripts, wall paintings, folk

music instruments, ornaments, weapons, etc.,

to highlight the culture and rich traditions of

Haryana.

There is also the Kalpana Chawla Memorial

Planetarium named after Dr. Kalpana Chawla,

India’s famous astronaut and space scientist. This

has been set up by Haryana State Council for

Science & Technology for imparting non-formal

education in astronomy so anyone can learn more

about this form of science. However most shows

are run in Hindi language, but when needed, they

are shown in both Hindi and English.

There is an assortment of other noteworthy

places around Kuruksetra, some of which you may

want to visit if you have time. Altogether there

are still about 134 important pilgrimage sites that

are still known today, of which we will describe a

few. For example, the mound called Amin, eight

miles outside of town, is where Arjuna’s son,

Abhimanyu, was caught in the Chakra Vyuha

military formation and killed during the battle

of Kuruksetra, as described in the Mahabharata.

And the Karna Vadha trench is where Karna, the

Pandavas half-brother who fought against them,

was killed when his chariot got stuck there.

About 40 kilometers from Kurukshetra is

the place of Pehowa where the ancient Sarasvati

River is commemorated, and is famous for the

performance of the shraddha ceremonies for the

ancestors. The tirtha of Prithudaka is mentioned

in the Puranas and Mahabharata, where Matinara,

a king in the Puru lineage, performed many

rituals here on the bank of the Sarasvati River,

which is now mostly dried up and no longer flows

through Kurukshetra as it did during the times of

the Mahabharata.

Jind and Safidon are towns where you will find

such tirthas as Ram Hridaya where Parashurama

performed a spiritual ceremony. At Birhi Kalan near

Jind is Varaha Tirtha where Lord Varaha appeared

in order to save the earth. Sarp Damam, in Safidon,

is where Janamejaya, the son of Maharaja Pariksit,

performed a fire sacrifice in order to destroy all the

snakes after his father was bitten by the snake bird

Takshaka from a curse by Shringi, as described in

the Srimad-Bhagavatam. This is in connection with

the holy town of Shukratal. If you have the time to

do some research, the library at Kuruksetra has a

good collection of Vedic literature in Sanskrit and

English.

Many of the sites mentioned herein will likely

change greatly in their appearance over the

next few years because the government plans to

spend a lot of money to make these sites more

tourist and pilgrim friendly. They plan to make a

“Krishna Tour” for the many pilgrims so they can

easily see the sites connected with Krishna and

India’s history. This will include Kurukshetra and

many other places in Haryana, but also places like

Vrindavana which will also be a part of this tour.

In this way, Kurukshetra has much to offer the

sincere pilgrim and also elaborates the significance

of the Bhagavad-gita. Some people stay for a day,

but Kurukshetra deserves a few days to see and

absorb all it has to offer.

This article and more information at www.stephen-knapp.com



The biggest problem in today’s world

is terrorism, many political leaders

acknowledge. The strange thing is that

they close their eyes to its root cause. This closing

of eyes is seen as politically correct. Naturally,

there is little chance to improve things but it’s

likely to get worse.

If someone commits an act of terror, he must

be motivated. Yet this motivation is ignored,

because in most terror cases in our times, terror

is connected with Islam, and if someone hints at

this fact, he is promptly accused of Islamophobia.

Yet Christianity also used terror in earlier times.

In fact Christianity was the first to make the

unsubstantiated claim that God has given the

full truth only to the Church and everyone must

believe it at the cost of their lives. And Islam

followed with a similar claim. Terrorism in the

name of God started right then, by forcing “those

who are wrong” into the “right” faith or killing

them. Millions of people were killed – from

America to India and beyond.

In primary school I learnt that Islam expanded

through “fire and sword”. It was a meaningless

phrase for me as a child. Only later, it dawned that

it involved tremendous cruelty. This cruelty was

not restricted to Islam. The Christian ‘expansion’

and the Inquisition were equally brutal. Indians

experienced it firsthand in Goa.

In the 1970s, at University, we debated why

religion has caused so much bloodshed. The

debate was on ‘why’ not on ‘if ’.

In 2000, a change in this approach became

apparent. When Pope John Paul II finally

acknowledged the cruelty of the Inquisition, and

asked forgiveness from God, he did not blame the

Church but ‘sons and daughters of the Church’

who committed ‘mistakes’. He tried to absolve

the religion and laid the blame on ‘misguided’

followers.

This same pattern is followed today regarding

Islam. When Jihadis attack innocent citizens

shouting ‘Allah ho Akbar’, politicians, Muslim

representatives and media declare that those

terror acts have nothing to do with Islam but

are the handiwork of misguided or deranged

individuals.

The reaction is so predictable: “The attack is

shocking, revulsive, a cowardly act, but we stand

united. We won’t let them win”, etc.

Then in major cities (provided the attack

happened in the West, as lives lost in Africa or

Asia don’t seem to matter so much) a landmark

building is lit up in the colors of the country

where the attack happened, candles are lit…

TERROR IN THE NAME OF

GOD AND ALLAH

Maria Wirth



We have gone through these motions far too

often and there is something fake about it. The

pain of those affected is real. Others may be

grateful that it had not hit them – at least not this

time. Yet most politicians are not honest.

True, the attacks are shocking and revulsive,

but they are not cowardly acts. The Jihadi kills

because he is convinced that it is his duty to kill

Kafirs – and he is even ready to die in doing what

he feels is right. This shows courage. Almost all

terrorists are young. It is not normal, nor easy

to risk one’s life by killing others, unless he is

absolutely convinced that the benefit is greater

than the cost.

AND WHAT DOES HE EXPECT AS BENEFIT?Probably he was taught already as a kid or has

read it later on the internet that killing Kafirs

pleases Allah. By doing so, he can make his life

truly worthwhile, and he will be richly rewarded:

he will have a better status in paradise than those

who did not kill Kafirs.

Now here is where we Kafirs are either cowards

or ignorant. We don’t dare to point to passages

in the Quran, which support his expectation, for

example Q 4.95 and ask what it means if not what

is written there.

“Those believers who stay at home – having

no physical disability – are not equal to those

who make Jihad in the cause of Allah with their

wealth and their persons. Allah has granted a

higher rank to those who make Jihad with their

wealth and their persons than to those who stay at

home. Though Allah has promised a good reward

for all, Allah has prepared a much richer reward

for those who make Jihad for Him than for those

who stay at home. They have special higher

ranks, forgiveness and mercy. Allah is forgiving,

merciful.” (Q4. 95-96).

Imagine a young, hot-headed Muslim reads

this – would he not be inspired to make his life

“worthwhile”? Even more so, if he has phantasies

of becoming a hero with a gun? He probably

considers dying as a small price for greater glory.

As Sultan Shahin once pointed out, children in

madrasas, who often are treated badly, sing songs

with the refrain “zindagi shuru hoti hai qubr

mein” (life starts in the grave).

Curiously, old, sick Muslims don’t seem to be

interested in the “higher status in paradise” when

it would make much more sense for them. Does

it mean, they are more mature and know that the

Quran must not be taken literally?

Is it not their and our duty, to save not only

the potential victims of future terror attacks but

also the young Muslims who are ready to throw

away their lives for a promise which won’t be

kept? After all, Christianity also claims that



only those who are baptized can enter heaven.

A comment to one of my tweets recently read:

“I don’t understand why those religions portray

their God like underworld dons. ‘If you leave our

gang, if you are not a follower of our God, then

you will be fried in hot oil in hell’”…

Can a merciful Supreme Being behave like a

jilted lover who gives hell to those who love him

under another name?

We need to ask probing questions. Those

must include the question: why in an area where

Muslims have become the majority, the number

of minorities keeps dwindling till they become

almost non-existent?

Yes, it is difficult to believe that terror attacks

have anything to do with religion. Religion is

understood to be something good. It is meant

to connect us with the Highest and to make us

better human beings. We want to believe that

the cause for terror attacks is something else. ‘All

religions worship the same one God. No religion

can condone killing others’, most of us will say.

But is it true?

We need to find out. If we don’t dare to do this,

we are cowards.

Let’s imagine we discover that there are indeed

passages in the Islamic texts that condone terror

against infidels, what will be the next step?

Then we need to bring in common sense and

debate on the meaning of life and enquire into the

absolute truth. India has the knowledge and must

take the lead in this, because the Christian West

is handicapped though many Christians, except

those who earn their livelihood from the Church,

meanwhile don’t divide humanity any longer

into ‘us versus the rest’. Yet both the Muslim and

Christian clergy does. Instead, another dividing

line must be drawn: It is the line between

humanity and inhumanity.

Terror and hatred for other human beings is

inhumanity. How do we know? Because we have a

conscience which tells us what is right and what is

wrong. Right is dharmic and wrong is adharmic.

Hinduism is based on Dharma and that’s why

Hindus can never cause terror in the name of

the one Brahman or their many Devas. Our

conscience is the voice of Dharma which guides

us through life. If we listen to it, we realize that

the whole of humanity is one family. The life in

all of us comes from the same, most powerful yet

invisible, source.

Religions which demand that we ignore our

conscience and instead believe blindly what they

tell us (two of them exist), have an agenda. They

want sheep who don’t think for themselves and

who can be used for their own purpose.

Terrorists are not cowards, but they are not

smart. They got the purpose of life wrong and

they won’t be rewarded for harming and killing

other human beings.

Source: https://mariawirthblog.wordpress.com/2020/12/05/terror-in-the-name-of-god-and-allah/

Maria Wirth is a German and came to India for a holiday after finishing her psychology studies at Hamburg University. She visited the Ardha Kumbha Mela in Haridwar in April 1980 where she met Sri Anandamayi Ma and Devaraha Baba, two renowned saints. With their blessing she continued to live in India and dived into India’s spiritual tradition, sharing her insights with German readers through articles and books. For long, she was convinced that every Indian knows and treasures his great heritage. However, when in recent years, she noticed that there seemed to be a concerted effort to prevent Indians (and the world) from knowing how valuable this ancient Indian heritage is, she started to point out the unique value of Indian tradition. She may be contacted via email [email protected]

ABOUT THE AUTHOR



Siddheshwari Devi (Didi Ji)

TOP TEN REASONS TO LOVE GOD1. Because He gives without expecting anything

from you.

Everyone expects something back from you, even

if it is a thank you note, a hug or a smile. God

is the only one who keeps giving without any

expectation.

2. Because you have every possible relationship

with Him.

In the world your mother is only your mother.

She is not your father, brother, sister and child

along with being your mother. God is mother,

father, brother, sister, child and beloved. You

are the spirit soul and you have each and every

relationship with Him.

3. Because He is the only one who has always

been with you.

Wherever the soul goes after leaving the physical

body, God goes along as well. He never leaves you

alone for even the tiniest moment.

4. Because He will always remain with you.

Countless family members have been with you

and now you are separated from them. Even the

most intimate worldly relationship comes to an

end one day. God, however, has always been with

you and will always be by your side.

5. Because He forgives your countless offences.

Even though His child has committed countless

sins, God forgives everything if His child becomes

truly repentant.

6. Because He is always looking at you without

blinking.

What if He blinks and at that very moment you

decide to surrender to Him? The moment you

surrender, He has to destroy your ignorance, burn

your uncountable actions, and give you unlimited

knowledge. So, He never blinks.

7. Because He has been infinitely patient with

you.

There is no end to His patience. Patiently He waits

for you to run into His loving arms as you run

in the opposite direction. But He waits and waits

EMBRACE EVERY SEASON



and waits. All because of love.

8. Because He is all-merciful.

The only thing He knows to do is to shower mercy

on one and all. Even as He punishes His children,

He does it to grace them.

9. Because He never forgets you even though

you forget Him.

Although you may forget Him, He never forgets

to grace you. He is the merciful mother who

continues to love her child even though the child

may be kicking her.

10. Because His love for you is immeasurable.

It is absolutely impossible to measure the love

God has for you. Because of that love He gives

you the power of critical thinking. Because of that

love He gives you fruits of your actions by taking

note of every single thought of yours.

EMBRACE EVERY SEASONOne of the best gifts Nature gives us is the gift

of seasons, with each season bringing along its

own unique flavor. We can choose to appreciate

each season and enjoy it, or completely become

oblivious to it and even grumble endlessly about

it.

We can take inspiration by observing children

who enjoy every season that comes along.

While adults lament the rain that never stops,

children have fun playing in the rain and splashing

in mud puddles.

While grownups complain about the sudden

snowfall, kids shriek with excitement as they slide

down the driveway in their make-shift toboggans.

While parents complain to each other about

the sweltering heat, children enjoy the simple

pleasure of going through the water sprinkler and

getting soaking wet with the garden hose.

While adults bicker about having to clean up

so many leaves in the autumn season, children

happily dive into the pile of those leaves.

We would do well to enjoy not just the

changing seasons of Nature but also the changing

seasons of life. Whatever season is yours at this

time, learn to appreciate it. Embrace it and enjoy

it like a child.

AN ENDING LEADS TO A NEW BEGINNINGWe hear and use the expression, “Everything

good must come to an end one day.” We speak

these words with a regretful sigh. We lament the

passing of something good that we had in life. It’s

true that everything good comes to an end one

day. It’s also true that everything bad comes to an

end one day. If a marriage comes to an end, the

abuse, fights and arguments between two people

also come to an end. If a popular boys’ band

breaks up, it is the beginning of a solo career for

band members. When high school education

comes to an end, college life begins.

Rather than grieving the end of something

we hold dear, let’s celebrate the beginning of

something new. When spring comes to an end,

summertime arrives. When summer comes to an

end, the autumn season arrives. When autumn

comes to an end, winter begins. Every season has

its own beauty worth noticing and appreciating.

When life as we knew it comes to an end,

challenges begin. It’s a waste of time brooding

over the changes and wishing everything to have

remained the same. We should live constructively

by embracing challenges and adapting ourselves

to meet these challenges. We should also keep in

mind that challenges will also come to an end one

day.



We reminisce about the ‘good old days.’ We

mourn the days that will never return. While

mourning the loss of our past, we overlook the

present which is not bad at all. The days of the past

had to end for the present to arrive. Appreciate

the new beginnings rather than holding on to the

past.

The caterpillar must shed its former self for the

butterfly to arrive. Every ending leads to a new

beginning.

LIGHTER MOMENTSA simple remedy for turning dull routine of

everyday life into pleasure is……lighter moments.

These are moments of easy laughter and playful

banter. These are the times when you take a short

break and share a joke with a friend or a loved

one; when you kick up your feet or soak them in

warm water and Epsom salts. These are times you

steal from your everyday life and prepare a face

mask with turmeric and milk. These are the times

you drive to your local Amish community to get

the freshest milk from grass fed cows.

Everyone needs a mental refreshment now and

then. Think about it! Your mind is working all the

time. Even when you sleep, the mind is working

hard to produce dreams. There are times when the

mind is overloaded, resulting in tensions, worries

and anxieties. For the mind to destress itself, it

needs lighter moments. So, engage in something

the mind takes delight in. No two people are the

same. Therefore, decide on what works for you.

Even as you plan such an activity, the dopamine

levels in your brain start to increase. You start

feeling good.

Taking out the time to destress and to regroup

is not something frivolous. In many cases it is a

lifeline. It will not take away productivity from

your life; on the contrary, it will make you more

productive. Get up from your desk and stand in

the sun for 5-10 minutes. Do some fun stretches

in your back yard, or on the park bench. Meditate

in the middle of your day. Replace the frown on

your face with a beautiful smile.

Email: [email protected]



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Sanjay MehtaDr. Abhaya Asthana Jyotish Parekh

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